real artists don't eat or breathe or recycle or use recycled items in their art for that matter

I just finished a piece for a project in conjunction with the American Planning Association conference to be held in 2011.
"breathe"

I have been posting about the project on this blog, as it pertains to my idea to highlight Geographic Identity...one thing leads to another and even though I included some studio thoughts along the way, I hope that there are some universal tid-bits that anyone can glean from the project, spark new thought or make new work, too.

The piece included cigarette ash, carbon monoxide blown on the canvas, crushed pine needles, embroidery, CO2 (aerosol)...I literally put aspects of the sky and of airquality on the piece. It was a challenge, but I am happy with the results. Except the piece smells weird. So now, it has literally encroached on your clean-air breathing - you can smell the CO2, like an old house that was inhabited by smokers. I'll see what can be done about that before it goes on display...or not. Maybe that is the irony.
My statement about the process can be found here:
"breathe" about AirQuality

Making art like this made we wonder how in the heck would we be able to portray, communicate or signify AIR in a public art sculpture? Aside from sculpture or mural, but really DO something about the air...like create domes with little forests to sit in, or boxes with herb-scented public access gas masks?? Really, you would not believe that areas are mapped out all over the nation designating the responsibility for regulating the Air in an area/city/region. I find this totally ridiculous on one level, because it must be really difficult for Upland to keep their air clean with the stench from the Ontario Waste Water Treatment Plant fecal smog wafting up on a Santa Ana wind day...

I looked up some female environmental artists and am newly acquainted with Agnes Denes and was glad to see her Wheatfield, created about 25 years before the Lauren Bon Cornfield. Both very industrious projects. Here is another article on land and environmental art on World Changing dot com.

This last month I have also been thinking about sustainability which lead to thoughts about groceries. We have been really slack on getting our food garden this past year....as if we have no motivation to survive. This is unlike me...or it's as if getting papers due, and making work for the some odd 20 exhibitions I have participated in, applying to graduate school and looking for work does not require energy. This also has nothing to do, at least I don't think it does, to the fact that I gained 18 pounds in the last 12 months and none of my pants fit so I am relegated to the same pair of North Face pants that I bought for exercising in.

What in the name of creativity does this have to do with anything for an art blog, you say? Because food for thought comes from anywhere. No, I'm not making art about my weight gain. But I did notice that eating well at least makes me feel better. I have a somewhat secret stash of photos of my food. I post them every now and then to the chagrin of unsolicited advice from people who tell me that I should only post serious stuff about my art if I want to be taken seriously. I don't know, I thought everyone had to eat, but maybe in some art world circles the artists exist on osmosis or something.

Here is some information about getting good food for cheap in the LA and IE areas:
Velas Market East LA
Unity Farm, owned by 2 brothers, organic, near Jurupa State Park, Riverside County Parks. Mini golf, fishing and camping at the park, too.
Amy's Farm, Ontario + Agrarian Solutions
South Central Downtown LA
and everywhere: local harvest. org
or home delivery from farms nation-wide-- these places cost more, though.

And in the spirit of the site and eco art - this tantalizing link:
Need I say that eco-art is big on Trendsetter. That's right appropriators, we are not original, we are mainstream. Cassette tape ribbon, water bottles, junk, trash, cargo containers - Take a look.

Well, have a nice month, 'til the next 6th of it.
In the mean time, live long and prosper.